France murder victim identified after 20 years and suspect arrested

France murder victim identified after 20 years and suspect arrested21 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAlice CuddyBBC NewsInterpolBoukerouis had been known to police only as "the woman with the Richmond dental crown" because of recent dental workA woman whose body was discovered in France more than 20 years ago has been identified by police, and a suspect in her murder arrested.Hakima Boukerouis is the fifth woman to be named through an international police campaign called Operation Identify Me, which was launched in 2023.Her mutilated body was discovered in a concealed water butt in northeastern France in January 2005, but police were unable to identify her.The case marks the first time since the campaign launched that a suspect has been arrested.In a statement on Tuesday, global policing agency Interpol said a breakthrough came when the victim was identified by French police using "familial DNA searching"."This identification underscores how important it is to keep investigating unresolved cold cases," Interpol's secretary general Valdecy Urquiza said."As part of the Identify Me campaign, the efforts of the French authorities have helped identify a murder victim whose case had remained open for many years."French police have not named the suspect and Interpol said limited details about the case could be shared because investigations and judicial proceedings were ongoing.Boukerouis had previously been known to police as "the woman with the Richmond dental crown" because of a type of recent expensive dental work she had, which police believed may have been carried out in Germany.Her body was discovered in the village of Saint-Quirin, tied up and wrapped in black rubbish bags.Local media reports in France say she was 34 years old at the time of her murder and was born in Algeria.Boukerouis was one of 47 women included in Operation Identify Me - an Interpol campaign seeking to find the names of women...